Blood To Ashes

A world that used to be beautiful is now in ashes. No one knows when it started, but all I know is that the unexpected turns into the expected. Not many people understand this, but that's the beauty of it. I am one of the "lucky" ones who have escaped the darkness, but even I am not entirely sure if I have. Three years ago, I woke up in a cold, damp alley. My vision was blurred, and my mind felt like it was shrouded in fog. The air was still-too still, almost as if the world was holding its breath. A gust of wind slithered through a broken window, dragging a distant whistle along with it. I had no idea where I was until I noticed a crumpled piece of paper at my feet, its ink smeared by dried blood. The city was a graveyard. Buildings once tall and proud now lay in ruin, overtaken by vines and decay. Abandoned cars sat like tombstones, their once vibrant colors dulled by a thick layer of ash. I glanced around, trying to get my bearings, but all I found was desolation. As I moved deeper into the ruins, I stumbled upon a car-its metallic frame charred, as if someone had doused it in gasoline and lit a match. The air stank of burnt flesh. Nearby, a man sat slumped in an alley, his eyes frozen wide, his mouth twisted in a silent scream. His body had been savaged, torn apart by something that left behind nothing but sinew, bone, and a strange, sticky blue-green fluid. "What the hell happened here?" I whispered; my voice lost in the wind. My stomach churned. No, I couldn't stay here. I had to keep moving. There had to be someone alive-someone who could help me make sense of this nightmare. As I trudged down the cracked street, I caught sight of something strange on the wall of a building. In smeared red letters, it read: "Beware of those who seem normal. They are the definition of chaos. The town isn't safe. If you see them... run." A chill slid down my spine as I read the message. "Who the hell are they?" I muttered, scanning the street. My heart quickened, each beat louder than the last. Then I heard it. A dull, wet thud echoed from the alley to my left, followed by a low, guttural shriek that crawled under my skin. Every instinct screamed at me to run, but something-something darker-urged me to investigate. I took a step toward the sound, then another. The closer I got, the louder the shriek became, like nails on a chalkboard mixed with something... hungry. My footfalls were soft, but my heartbeat was deafening. The alley was narrow, bathed in a sickly gray light. And then I saw it. A creature, hunched over a lifeless body, its claws buried deep in the torn flesh. Its skin was slick, almost gelatinous, shifting between hues of black and green. The smell-God, the smell-was unbearable. It was feeding, gnawing on bone with such intensity that its sharp, jagged teeth scraped against the concrete beneath the corpse. Suddenly, it stopped. The thing's head snapped up, its hollow, black eyes locking onto me. Blood and gore dripped from its mangled maw as it slowly rose to its full height. Taller than any human, its limbs unnaturally long and thin, ending in twisted claws. I stepped back, my breath catching in my throat. "Don't... move," I whispered to myself, barely audible. "Too late," a voice rasped behind me. I spun around, and there stood a man, or at least something that looked like one. His eyes gleamed with a sick, predatory hunger. The same blue-green fluid dripped from his mouth. "You're one of them..." I gasped. He smiled, revealing teeth-stained red. "You should have run when you had the chance." I didn't think-I bolted. My feet barely touched the ground as I raced down the alley, the creature's guttural shrieks echoing in my ears, the man's laughter trailing behind me. The walls seemed to close in, the shadows lengthening, grasping at me with cold fingers. Every corner I turned, every street I passed, felt wrong, like the city itself was hunting me. But then I saw it-a door, slightly ajar, light flickering inside. Without hesitation, I threw myself into the building, slamming the door shut behind me. I pressed my ear against the wood, listening, waiting. Silence. My heart pounded; my chest heaved with each ragged breath. I wasn't safe-not yet. In the dim light, I saw a figure emerge from the shadows. A woman, her face gaunt, eyes wide with terror. "You're too late," she whispered, her voice barely above a whisper. "They're already here." Before I could react, a sharp pain pierced my side. I looked down to see a clawed hand, dripping with the same blue-green fluid, protruding from my abdomen. "Welcome to the end," the man whispered in my ear as the world went black.